When does it pay to buy organic?

Let’s face it, not all of us can afford to go organic all the time, but there are ways to be strategic about it. The New York Times’ Well Blog recently named five easy ways to go organic while making the biggest impact on a family diet. It quotes pediatrician Dr. Alan Greene, who recommends this organic list: milk, potatoes, peanut butter, ketchup and apples.

Mike Urban / P-I

The Environmental Working Group has its own dirty dozen. These are the 12 fruits and vegetables that are most contaminated with pesticides, according to the group’s analysis of tests by the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. You should buy these fruits and vegetables organic if possible, it says.

Consumer Reports offers a good guide for when to go organic when your budget is limited.

You don’t have to buy organic across the board. The truth is, not all organic-labeled products offer added health value. We found, for example, that it’s worth paying more for organic apples, peaches, spinach, milk and beef to avoid chemicals found in the conventionally produced versions of those items. But you can skip organic asparagus and broccoli because conventional varieties generally have undetectable pesticide levels. You can also pass on organic seafood and shampoo, which have labels that are often misleading.